Prison for man who grabbed 12-year-old girl from her Minneapolis backyard, raped her

A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for grabbing a 12-year-old girl from her backyard last year and raping her.

Qalinle Ibrahim Dirie, 42, who was sentenced Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court, was convicted in May of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the assault on June 5, 2024.

With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Dirie is expected to serve nearly eight years in prison and the balance on supervised release. He also must register with the state as a predatory offender.

Dirie’s attorney, Amber Johnson, asked the court in a filing to spare her client any prison time, arguing that he had no previous criminal history and was “particularly amenable” to any probationary terms imposed.

But in a counter-filing, prosecutor Jesse Berglund said the prosecution “strongly” opposed probation and urged Judge Michael Burns to impose the term he ultimately chose.

Dirie “continues to deny that he committed the sexual assault,” prosecutors noted. “[His] denial of the offense shows he lacks any remorse for his actions against [the girl]. ... This crime, the apparent act of a stranger either forcing or inviting a 12-year-old child into his car to sexually assault her, is one of the most serious and egregious crimes there is.”

According to the criminal complaint:

An assault exam was conducted at the hospital, and results were sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis.

While at CornerHouse, which provides interview services in cases of suspected child sexual abuse, the girl said she had seen the man drive by her home often in a white car. She said that while she was in her backyard one day, he stopped in the alley and asked whether her mother was home. When the girl said no, he left but returned about 10 minutes later.

The girl said he picked her up and forced her into his car, striking her head in the process. She said the blow made her feel dizzy and disoriented. He then drove a couple of blocks and sexually assaulted her in the backseat, she said, before she escaped and ran home.

Her brother, who was 18 at the time, saw calls from Dirie on his sister’s phone that she was not answering. She told her brother they were from her rapist.

When Dirie called again, her brother answered but did not speak. Dirie said, “When can I see you again?”